Power supply module

Abstract

The power supply module includes: a plurality of drive substrates that respectively drive electronic circuits configured from a plurality of electronic components having different heat generation values; a heat shield electronic component configured from any one of the plurality of electronic components and separating the plurality of driving substrates; and a heat transfer suppression member that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate to the other drive substrate via the heat shield electronic component, and that overlaps at least a portion of the drive substrates in a plan view.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power module. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a power module equipped with electronic circuits such as an inverter and a converter has been known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). This power module, for example, converts the power supplied from a commercial power supply and charges a battery with the converted power, or converts the power supplied from a battery mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and supplies the converted power to an electronic device such as an electric motor.

[0003] In the power module described in Patent Document 1, the housing is partitioned vertically, a converter circuit is arranged in the upper space, and an inverter circuit is arranged in the lower space. In addition, a cooling flow path through which cooling water flows is provided at the bottom of the lower space, and heat is conducted to the metal housing to cool the converter circuit and the inverter circuit.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-121690

[0005] The power module uses various electronic components with different heat generation amounts such as switching elements, reactors, capacitors, and transformers. In the power module described in Patent Document 1, the converter circuit and the inverter circuit are respectively centrally arranged in the upper space and the lower space. Therefore, for example, the heat of the switching element with a relatively large heat generation amount in the converter circuit raises the ambient temperature via air, and the heat stays, making it easy for the cooling efficiency to decrease. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, a compact power module capable of improving the cooling efficiency is desired.

[0007] The characteristic structure of the power module of the present disclosure is as follows. A power module, comprising: a plurality of drive substrates that respectively drive individual electronic circuits composed of a plurality of electronic components with different heat generation amounts; a heat shield electronic component, which is composed of any one of the plurality of electronic components and separates the plurality of drive substrates; and a heat transfer suppression component that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate to another drive substrate across the heat shield electronic component and overlaps at least a part of the drive substrate when viewed from above.

[0008] Among the plurality of drive substrates that respectively drive a plurality of electronic circuits, the heat from the electronic circuit mounted on one drive substrate is conducted to the electronic circuit mounted on another drive substrate via air, and there is a risk of a decrease in cooling efficiency.

[0009] Therefore, in this structure, there are provided: a thermal shield electronic component that separates a plurality of drive substrates; and a heat transfer suppression component that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate to another across the thermal shield electronic component and overlaps at least a part of the drive substrate in a plan view. Thus, by the thermal shield electronic component and the heat transfer suppression component, the electronic circuits controlled by the respective drive substrates can be independent cooling targets. Further, since the thermal shield electronic component is constituted by any one of the plurality of electronic components, there is no need to separately provide a thermal shield component, and the power module can be made compact.

[0010] In this way, a compact power module capable of improving the cooling efficiency is achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a circuit structure diagram of a cooling system including a power module according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power module.

[0013] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the power module.

[0014] Figure 4 is Figure 3 an enlarged view of part B of

[0015] Figure 5 is Figure 2 a sectional view taken along the arrow direction of line V-V of

[0016] Figure 6 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a power module according to the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a power module according to the third embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 is a partial enlarged plan view of the power module.

[0019] Figure 9 is Figure 8 a sectional view taken along the arrow direction of line IX-IX of DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the power module of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the embodiments described below are illustrative of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Therefore, the present disclosure can be implemented in various ways without departing from its gist.

[0021] 〔Structure of Cooling Circuit〕

[0022] As Figure 1As shown, the cooling circuit A including the power module 100 cools the power module 100 by a cooling fluid. The cooling fluid refers to cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC), insulating oil such as paraffin-based oil, or refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and hydrofluoroolefins (HFO). In this embodiment, it is preferable to use cooling water such as long-life coolant (LLC) and liquids with high electrical insulation such as fluorine-based inert liquids, and it can also be a coolant composed of cooling water or insulating oil. The cooling circuit A is mounted on a vehicle that charges a battery (not shown) using external power.

[0023] The cooling circuit A is composed of a power module 100, a water-cooled capacitor 1, an oil cooler 2, a water pump 3, a three-way valve 4, and a radiator 5. After the cooling fluid heated by cooling the power module 100 flows out of the power module 100, it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the water-cooled capacitor 1 and is heated, and then exchanges heat with the lubricating oil in the oil cooler 2 and is further heated. Thereafter, the cooling fluid is pumped by the water pump 3 and switched between the case of being delivered to the radiator 5 and the case of not being delivered to the radiator 5 through the three-way valve 4. When the cooling fluid is delivered to the radiator 5, the cooling fluid is cooled by the radiator 5 and flows into the power module 100 again. When the cooling fluid is not delivered to the radiator 5, the cooling fluid is not cooled and flows into the power module 100 again in a heated state.

[0024] 〔First Embodiment〕

[0025] 〔Structure of Power Module〕

[0026] As Figure 2 shown, the power module 100 of the first embodiment is configured to house at least an OBC (On Board Charger) substrate 20 (an example of a drive substrate), a motor drive substrate 30 (an example of a drive substrate), and a control substrate 40 (an example of a heat transfer suppression component) that controls the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 in a housing 10. The power module 100 has a first space 11. The OBC substrate 20, the motor drive substrate 30, and the control substrate 40 are separate substrates and are housed in the first space 11 in a mutually parallel posture. Figure 3 A cross-section cut in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the OBC substrate 20 (motor drive substrate 30, control substrate 40) is shown. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the OBC substrate 20 will be referred to as the "vertical direction". In addition, the direction of observing the control substrate 40 from the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 in the vertical direction will be referred to as the "upper direction", "upper side", etc., and the direction of observing the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 from the control substrate 40 will be referred to as the "lower direction", "lower side", etc. Figure 3 ​

[0027] The housing 10 has a second space 12 and a third space 13 separated from the first space 11. The second space 12 and the third space 13 are located on the lower side with respect to the first space 11. A motor 6 driven by a motor drive substrate 30 is housed in the second space 12, and a gear mechanism 7 that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the motor 6 is housed in the third space 13. The housing 10 has an opening 10a on the upper side of the first space 11, and the OBC substrate 20, the motor drive substrate 30, the control substrate 40, and the cooling plate 50 are housed in the first space 11 from the opening 10a. The opening 10a is closed by a cover 14 (refer to Figure 2 ), and the first space 11 becomes a closed space. The second space 12 houses the motor 6 from the side and is closed by a motor cover 15 fastened by bolts (not shown) to become a closed space. The motor shaft 6a extends and protrudes from the motor 6 along the rotation axis to both sides, and one motor shaft 6a penetrates the motor cover 15 and is exposed outside the housing 10. The other motor shaft 6a penetrates into the third space 13. The third space 13 houses the gear mechanism 7 from the side and is closed by a gear cover 16 fastened by bolts (not shown) to become a closed space. The other motor shaft 6a extending and protruding from the second space 12 is connected to the gear mechanism 7, and the rotation of the motor 6 is input via the motor shaft 6a. The gear mechanism 7 decelerates the rotation of the motor 6 and outputs it from the gear shaft 7a. The gear shaft 7a penetrates the gear cover 16 and is exposed outside the housing 10.

[0028] A power converter 22 (an example of an electronic circuit) is mounted on the OBC substrate 20. The power converter 22 at least includes an AC-DC converter that converts the alternating current input from the outside into direct current, and a DC-DC converter that converts the DC voltage into a DC voltage suitable for charging a battery (not shown). The structures of the AC-DC converter and the DC-DC converter are well-known, so detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0029] A power converter 32 (an example of an electronic circuit) is mounted on the motor drive substrate 30. The power converter 32 at least includes an inverter that controls the drive current for driving the motor 6. The structure of the inverter is well-known, so detailed descriptions are omitted. In addition, a control circuit 41 that controls the power converter 22 and the power converter 32 is mounted on the control substrate 40.

[0030] The AC-DC converter and the DC-DC converter of the power converter 22 include a heat-generating component 22a (an example of an electronic component), and the inverter of the power converter 32 includes a heat-generating component 32a (an example of an electronic component). Examples of the heat-generating component 22a included in the power converter 22 may include a reactor 22b (an example of an electronic component), a transformer 22c (an example of an electronic component), a diode (an example of an electronic component), and a switching element (an example of an electronic component), etc. Examples of the heat-generating component 32a included in the power converter 32 may include a diode (an example of an electronic component) and a switching element (an example of an electronic component). The heights of these electronic components are different.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 are at the same height in the vertical direction. Moreover, the control substrate 40 is arranged to overlap at least a part of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 (the area near the film capacitor 43 described later) when viewed in the vertical direction (from above). The connection between the OBC substrate 20 and the control substrate 40 and the connection between the motor drive substrate 30 and the control substrate 40 use the board-to-board connector 42. Hereinafter, the board-to-board connector 42 will be simply referred to as the connector 42. In the present embodiment, since the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 are at the same height in the vertical direction, two connectors 42 of the same type can be used to connect the OBC substrate 20 and the control substrate 40 and to connect the motor drive substrate 30 and the control substrate 40. By configuring like this, it is easy to assemble the control substrate 40 to the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30, and since there is no need to use connectors of different types, the assemblability is also excellent.

[0032] 〔Cooling Plate〕

[0033] In the first space 11 of the housing 10, a cooling plate 50 for cooling the heat-generating component 22a of the power converter 22 and the heat-generating component 32a of the power converter 32 is accommodated. The cooling plate 50 is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and is integrally formed by joining a plate-shaped lower plate 50a and an upper plate 50b by welding or the like. The cooling plate 50 forms a space inside (between the lower plate 50a and the upper plate 50b), and a cooling fluid circulates in this space. The heat-generating component 22a is mounted on the lower surface of the OBC substrate 20, and the heat-generating component 32a is mounted on the lower surface of the motor drive substrate 30. Moreover, both the heat-generating component 22a and the heat-generating component 32a are arranged to be in contact with the cooling plate 50, and heat exchange is performed between the heat-generating components 22a, 32a and the cooling fluid, thereby reducing the temperatures of the heat-generating components 22a, 32a and increasing the temperature of the cooling fluid. Both the heat-generating component 22a and the heat-generating component 32a can be fixedly arranged on the cooling plate 50.

[0034] As described above, the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 are at the same height in the vertical direction. To achieve this, the power module 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a height adjustment mechanism. Specifically, the flow path height H1 in the vertical direction at the portion facing the OBC substrate 20 (the portion overlapping the OBC substrate 20 when viewed in the vertical direction) and the flow path height H2 in the vertical direction at the portion facing the motor drive substrate 30 (the portion overlapping the motor drive substrate 30 when viewed in the vertical direction) are different. In the present embodiment, the flow path height H2 is greater than the flow path height H1. That is, the height adjustment mechanism of the present embodiment is such that the flow path heights H1 and H2 of the cooling plate 50 vary according to the substrate being faced.

[0035] In the present embodiment, among the lower plate 50a and the upper plate 50b constituting the cooling plate 50, the lower plate 50a is flat, but the height of the upper plate 50b is different at the portion corresponding to the OBC substrate 20 and the portion corresponding to the motor drive substrate 30. Specifically, the height of the portion of the upper plate 50b corresponding to the motor drive substrate 30 is higher than the height of the portion corresponding to the OBC substrate 20 with respect to the lower plate 50a. As described above, the heat generating components 22a used in the power converter 22 of the OBC substrate 20 and the heat generating components 32a used in the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 are both cooled by abutting against the upper plate 50b of the cooling plate 50. That is, the mounting height of the heat generating component 22a of the power converter 22 is relatively high, and the mounting height of the heat generating component 32a of the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 is relatively low.

[0036] Therefore, in the upper plate 50b of the present embodiment, the height of the flow path height H2 is made higher than the flow path height H1 by an amount corresponding to the difference between the mounting height of the heat generating component 22a and the mounting height of the heat generating component 32a. Thereby, it is possible to make the heights of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 consistent in the vertical direction in a state where the high-height heat generating component 22a and the low-height heat generating component 32a are both in contact with the upper plate 50b.

[0037] In addition, generally, the heat generation amount of the heat generating component 32a of the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 is relatively greater than the heat generation amount of the heat generating component 22a of the power converter 22 of the OBC substrate 20. Therefore, by making the flow path height H2 where the heat generating component 32a abuts higher than the flow path height H1 where the heat generating component 22a abuts, the flow path cross-sectional area of the cooling fluid at the portion where the heat generating component 32a abuts can be made larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of the cooling fluid at the portion where the heat generating component 22a abuts. Thereby, it is possible to efficiently cool the heat generating component 32a.

[0038] The flow path 53 of the cooling plate 50 is as shown when viewed in the vertical direction Figure 5configured as shown. In the present embodiment, when the cooling fluid flows in from the inlet 51 of the cooling fluid in the cooling plate 50, it first flows through the portion corresponding to the heat-generating component 22a of the power converter 22 of the OBC substrate 20 on the upstream side, and then flows through the portion corresponding to the heat-generating component 32a of the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 on the downstream side, and flows out from the outlet 52. That is, the cooling fluid first cools the heat-generating component 22a with relatively small heat generation amount, and then cools the heat-generating component 32a with relatively large heat generation amount. If the flow path structure is such that the cooling fluid first cools the heat-generating component 32a and then cools the heat-generating component 22a, the cooling fluid is sufficiently heated by the cooling of the heat-generating component 32a, so the heat-generating component 22a cannot be sufficiently cooled. However, by configuring the flow path 53 to cool the heat-generating component 32a after cooling the heat-generating component 22a, the cooling fluid can efficiently cool both the heat-generating components 22a and 32a.

[0039] In addition, in the flow path 53, on the downstream side facing the heat-generating component 32a, a plurality of protrusions 54 are formed in the flow path 53. The protrusions 54 are formed on at least one of the upper plate 50b and the lower plate 50a so as to protrude from the outside toward the inside to obstruct the flow of the cooling fluid. The protrusions 54 have a spherical segment shape and are arranged in a staggered manner with respect to the flow direction of the cooling fluid. For example, when the protrusions 54 are arranged on the lower plate 50a, the water on the side close to the lower plate 50a is lifted to the side of the upper plate 50b through the protrusions 54, thereby generating a vortex. As a result, the cooling fluid on the side close to the upper plate 50b is mixed with the cooling fluid on the side close to the lower plate 50a, and the water temperature on the side close to the upper plate 50b can be reduced. The cooling fluid on the side close to the upper plate 50b with a reduced water temperature can absorb more heat, so the temperature of the heat-generating component 32a can be further reduced.

[0040] As Figure 3 , Figure 5 shown, a metal substrate 23 is arranged on the upper plate 50b. A thin film capacitor 43 described later and a connection terminal 24 for inputting a DC voltage from a battery (not shown) are mounted on the metal substrate 23.

[0041] [Thin Film Capacitor]

[0042] As described above, the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 are different substrates. In the present embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, a thin film capacitor 43 (an example of an electronic component and a thermal isolation electronic component) is arranged between the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30. The thin film capacitor 43 is used for both the smoothing of the inverter of the power converter 32 and the smoothing of the secondary side of the DC-DC converter of the power converter 22. That is, the thin film capacitor 43 has two smoothing uses.

[0043] The film capacitor 43 has a height in the vertical direction from near the upper plate 50b of the cooling plate 50 to near the control substrate 40. That is, as Figure 3 shown, the height of the film capacitor 43 in the vertical direction is greater than the height of the electronic components including the heat-generating component 22a mounted on the OBC substrate 20 and the electronic components including the heat-generating component 32a mounted on the motor drive substrate 30 in the vertical direction. In addition, the distance between the upper surface of the film capacitor 43 and the lower surface of the control substrate 40 is shorter than the distance between the upper surface of each of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 and the lower surface of the control substrate 40. Therefore, the periphery of the motor drive substrate 30 is surrounded by the control substrate 40, the film capacitor 43, and the wall surface of the housing 10 and is separated from the periphery of the OBC substrate 20. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the heat generated in the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 from being transferred to the side of the OBC substrate 20.

[0044] 〔Configuration of high-height electronic components〕

[0045] As Figure 3 shown, the first space 11 is separated by the cooling plate 50 into a first region 11a located on the lower side of the cooling plate 50 and a second region 11b located on the upper side of the cooling plate 50. In the present embodiment, the volume of the first region 11a is smaller than the volume of the second region 11b. In the first space 11, a plurality of electronic components (including the heat-generating component 22a) constituting the power converter 22 and a plurality of electronic components (including the heat-generating component 32a) constituting the power converter 32 are both arranged in a manner divided into the first region 11a and the second region 11b. The OBC substrate 20, the motor drive substrate 30, and the control substrate 40 are arranged in the second region 11b.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the reactor 22b, the transformer 22c, and the oil cooler 2 of the power converter 22 are arranged in the first region 11a. Diodes, switching elements, etc. of the power converter 22 and the power converter 32 are arranged in the second region 11b. The reactor 22b, the transformer 22c, and the oil cooler 2 arranged in the first region 11a are in contact with the lower plate 50a of the cooling plate 50, and the diodes and switching elements arranged in the second region 11b are in contact with the upper plate 50b. Among the electronic components, the electronic components with a relatively large height are housed and arranged in the first region 11a, and the electronic components with a relatively small height are housed and arranged in the second region 11b.

[0047] The first region 11a is adjacent to the second space 12 in which the motor 6 is disposed and the third space 13 in which the gear mechanism 7 is disposed across the wall of the housing 10. That is, the first region 11a faces the motor 6 and the gear mechanism 7 across the wall of the housing 10. The first region 11a has a recess 11c recessed toward the third space 13 at a portion facing the gear mechanism 7. As a result, the height (depth) from the imaginary reference plane (the lower plate 50a of the cooling plate 50) to the lower side (the side facing the gear mechanism 7) of the portion of the first region 11a where the recess 11c is formed becomes larger.

[0048] Among the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c disposed in the first region 11a, the height of the transformer 22c is relatively large. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, the reactor 22b is disposed at a portion not facing the recess 11c, and the transformer 22c is disposed at a portion facing the recess 11c. The transformer 22c is disposed such that a part thereof enters the recess 11c. By disposing the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c in this way, the recess 11c of the first region 11a can be effectively utilized, and the power module 100 can be miniaturized.

[0049] 〔Insulation Assurance Based on Potting〕

[0050] In the present embodiment, the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c are disposed in the first region 11a of the first space 11, and the OBC substrate 20 is disposed in the second region 11b. The first region 11a and the second region 11b are separated by the cooling plate 50. A pair of wires 22d at both ends of the coil winding of the reactor 22b need to be electrically connected to the OBC substrate 20. Therefore, in the present embodiment, Figure 4 a structure in which a through hole 55 is formed in the cooling plate 50 and the wire 22d of the reactor 22b is inserted through the through hole 55 to be electrically connected to the OBC substrate 20 is described. In addition, although not described in the present embodiment, the same structure can also be applied to the wires of the coil winding of the transformer 22c and other electronic components disposed in the first region 11a.

[0051] First, a method of forming the through hole 55 will be described. The upper plate 50b and the lower plate 50a are joined while opening a hole from the upper plate 50b to the lower plate 50a of the cooling plate 50 by friction stir welding. That is, as Figure 4 shown, the through hole 55 is formed in the flow path 53, but the periphery of the through hole 55 is surrounded by the joined upper plate 50b and lower plate 50a, and the cooling fluid flowing through the flow path 53 from the through hole 55 does not leak out to the through hole 55.

[0052] Next, the reactor 22b is disposed in the reactor housing portion 56 formed in the lower plate 50a, and the wire 22d is inserted through the through-hole 55. As a result, the wire 22d is exposed in the second region 11b. The end of the wire 22d is electrically connected to the OBC substrate 20.

[0053] Next, a sealant 55a is dropped into the end portion of the through-hole 55 on the second region 11b side to seal the end portion. As a result, the wire 22d is fixed. Further, a resin potting material 55b is filled in the reactor housing portion 56. The potting material 55b covers the entire circumference (entire side surface) and the bottom surface of the reactor 22b and also flows into the through-hole 55. When the potting material 55b is cured, the reactor 22b and the wire 22d are insulated by the potting material 55b filled between the cooling plates 50 (the lower plate 50a and the upper plate 50b).

[0054] In this way, by such a simple structure of forming the through-hole 55 in the cooling plate 50, inserting the wire 22d therethrough, and filling the potting material 55b, the insulation between the reactor 22b and the wire 22d with respect to the cooling plate 50 can be ensured, and it is not necessary to pull the wire 22d around a long distance from the outside of the cooling plate 50. Therefore, the risk of the wire 22d breaking is also suppressed.

[0055] 〔Effects of the First Embodiment〕

[0056] In the present embodiment, the power module 100 includes: an OBC substrate 20 and a motor drive substrate 30 that drive power converters 22 and 32 such as a converter and an inverter, respectively; and a control substrate 40 that controls these substrates. That is, since the control substrate 40 composed of a CPU or the like that operates the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 is shared, it is only necessary to connect the shared control substrate 40 to the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 respectively using the connector 42, and the assemblability is excellent.

[0057] In the cooling plate 50 of the present embodiment, a flow path 53 is formed through which the cooling fluid flows from the heat generating component 22a with relatively small heat generation amount to the heat generating component 32a with relatively large heat generation amount. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the need to heat other electronic components by the cooling fluid heated by the heat generating component 32a with relatively large heat generation amount. In addition, since the cooling starts from the heat generating component 22a with relatively small heat generation amount, it is also possible to cool the heat generating component 32a with relatively large heat generation amount using the coolant.

[0058] In the present embodiment, there are provided: a film capacitor 43 that separates the OBC substrate 20 from the motor drive substrate 30; and a control substrate 40 that suppresses heat transfer from the motor drive substrate 30 to the OBC substrate 20 across the film capacitor 43. Thus, through the film capacitor 43 and the control substrate 40, the power converter 22 controlled by the OBC substrate 20 and the power converter 32 controlled by the motor drive substrate 30 can be independent cooling targets. Also, since the film capacitor 43 shields heat, there is no need to separately provide a component for heat shielding, and the power module 100 can be made compact.

[0059] In the present embodiment, there is provided a housing 10 that houses the OBC substrate 20, the motor drive substrate 30, and the control substrate 40. The first space 11 of the housing 10 is divided into a first region 11a and a second region 11b with respect to the cooling plate 50. Moreover, in the first region 11a, which is one of these two regions, the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c, which are electronic components with a relatively large height, are housed in a region with a relatively large volume. In this way, as long as the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c are arranged in the first region 11a with a large volume in the first space 11, and other electronic components with a relatively small height are arranged in the second region 11b, the power module 100 becomes compact. In addition, since the transformer 22c, which has a relatively large height among the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c, is arranged in a region with a relatively large height in the first region 11a, the space utilization efficiency can be improved.

[0060] In the present embodiment, a wire 22d led out from the reactor 22b arranged on the opposite side of the OBC substrate 20 across the cooling plate 50 is fixed to a through-hole 55 formed in the cooling plate 50 by a potting material 55b. Therefore, there is no need to make the wire 22d detour, and it can be led out in the flow path 53 along the shortest path. Also, by simply fixing the wire 22d to the through-hole 55 formed in the cooling plate 50 by the potting material 55b, insulation is ensured, and thus processing is easy.

[0061] 〔Second Embodiment〕

[0062] Next, Figure 6 the structure of the power module 100 of the second embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, different from the first embodiment, the flow path height of the cooling plate 50 is set to be constant. Therefore, the positions (vertical distances) of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 in the vertical direction when observed from the control substrate 40 are different. Specifically, the vertical distance between the control substrate 40 and the motor drive substrate 30 is longer than that in the first embodiment. Other than this, it has the same structure as the first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the parts having the same structure as those in the first embodiment, and the detailed description related to the same structure is omitted.

[0063] In the present embodiment, in order to control the power converter 22 of the OBC substrate 20 and the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 by the control circuit 41 of the shared control substrate 40, a height adjustment mechanism is provided. The height adjustment mechanism in the present embodiment makes the height of the connector connecting the OBC substrate 20 and the control substrate 40 different from the height of the connector connecting the motor drive substrate 30 and the control substrate 40. Specifically, a high-height substrate having a height dimension higher than that of the connector 42 is used to connect the motor drive substrate 30 and the control substrate 40 to the substrate connector 44 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the high-height connector 44). Thereby, even when the vertical positions of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 are different when viewed from the control substrate 40, the power converter 22 of the OBC substrate 20 and the power converter 32 of the motor drive substrate 30 can be controlled using the shared control substrate 40.

[0064] If a high-height connector 44 having a height different from that of the connector 42 is used as in the present embodiment, when assembling the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 to the shared control substrate 40, as long as one of the OBC substrate 20 and the motor drive substrate 30 is connected to the control substrate 40 and then the other substrate is connected to the control substrate 40, the tolerance can be absorbed by the connector.

[0065] 〔Third Embodiment〕

[0066] Next, Figures 7 - 9 The structure of the power supply module 100 according to the third embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the structure of the cooling plate 50 is different from that of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Other than this, the structure is the same as that of the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the parts having the same structure as those of the first embodiment and the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the detailed description of the same structure is omitted.

[0067] In the present embodiment, the housing 10 is formed by joining the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. The cooling plate 50 is disposed at the boundary between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102. Therefore, a first region 11a of the first space 11 is formed by the first housing 101 and the cooling plate 50, and a second region 11b of the first space 11 is formed by the second housing 102 and the cooling plate 50. Therefore, the reactor 22b and the transformer 22c are housed in the first housing 101.

[0068] The inlet 51 and the outlet 52 of the cooling plate 50 are formed in a cylindrical shape as Figure 9 shown. In addition, as Figure 7As shown, an inlet 51 and an outlet 52 are formed at both end portions in the horizontal direction of the cooling plate 50 (the direction parallel to the plate surface of the OBC substrate 20). Moreover, the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are clamped by a first abutting surface 101b of a first protruding portion 101a of the first housing 101 and a second abutting surface 102b of a second protruding portion 102a of the second housing 102, and end portions of the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are visually recognizable and exposed from the outside of the housing 10. In addition, the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 are connected to the cooling plate 50 by screw engagement.

[0069] As Figure 8 , Figure 9 shown, the first protruding portion 101a of the first housing 101 and the second protruding portion 102a of the second housing 102 are fastened by bolts 58 in a state where they abut against the first abutting surface 101b and the second abutting surface 102b and clamp the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 of the cooling plate 50. In addition, annular washers 57 are respectively arranged between the inlet 51 and the first protruding portion 101a and the second protruding portion 102a, and between the outlet 52 and the first protruding portion 101a and the second protruding portion 102a. And, as Figure 7 shown, the second housing 102 becomes a cooling manifold 103 in which a flow path (not shown) forming a part of the flow path 53 of the cooling plate 50 is formed inside.

[0070] In the cooling plate 50 of the present embodiment, the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 of the cooling fluid are respectively clamped by the first abutting surface 101b of the first protruding portion 101a of the first housing 101 and the second abutting surface 102b of the second protruding portion 102a of the second housing 102. Therefore, the flow path 53 formed inside the cooling plate 50 can be designed independently of the cooling plate 50, and the degree of freedom in designing the flow path shape is high. And, both end portions of the cooling plate 50 where the inlet 51 and the outlet 52 of the cooling fluid are formed are clamped by the first abutting surface 101b of the first housing 101 and the second abutting surface 102b of the second housing 102. Therefore, it is only necessary to assemble in the order of the first housing 101, the cooling plate 50, and the second housing 102, and the assemblability can be ensured.

[0071] 〔Other Embodiments〕

[0072] (1) In the first embodiment, the film capacitor 43 is configured to be used for smoothing both the inverter of the power converter 32 and the secondary side of the DC-DC converter of the power converter 22. However, the film capacitor for smoothing the inverter of the power converter 32 and the film capacitor for smoothing the secondary side of the DC-DC converter of the power converter 22 can be separated, and at least one of them can be used as a thermal shielding electronic component.

[0073] (2) The control substrate 40 is used as the heat transfer suppression component, but it is not limited thereto. A dedicated component may also be used as the heat transfer suppression component. Additionally, when the control substrate 40 is used as the heat transfer suppression component, it is preferable to mount heat-sensitive components such as the CPU on the upper side of the control substrate 40 (the side not facing the motor drive substrate 30). By configuring it in this way, the influence of the heat generated by the heat-generating component 32a of the motor drive substrate 30 on components such as the CPU can be reduced.

[0074] (3) In the first embodiment, the heat-generating components 22a and 32a disposed in the second region 11b of the first space 11 are both lower than the height of the film capacitor 43, but it is not limited thereto. As long as the film capacitor 43 is higher than the heat-generating component 32a of the motor drive substrate 30, it can shield the heat of the heat-generating component 32a. Therefore, the height of the heat-generating component 22a may also be higher than that of the film capacitor 43.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the following structure is envisioned.

[0076] (1) One embodiment of the power module (100) includes: a plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) that respectively drive each of the electronic circuits (22, 32) composed of a plurality of electronic components (22a, 32a, 43) with different heat generation amounts; a heat shielding electronic component (43) that is composed of any one of the plurality of electronic components (22a, 32a, 43) and separates the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30); and a heat transfer suppression component (40) that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate (20, 30) to the other drive substrate (30, 20) across the heat shielding electronic component (43) and overlaps at least a part of the drive substrates (20, 30) when viewed from above.

[0077] In the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) that respectively drive the plurality of electronic circuits (22, 32), the heat from the electronic circuit (22, 32) mounted on one drive substrate (20, 30) is conducted to the electronic circuit (32, 22) mounted on the other drive substrate (30, 20) via air, and there is a risk of reduced cooling efficiency.

[0078] Therefore, in the present embodiment, there are provided: a thermal shielding electronic component (43) that separates a plurality of drive substrates (20, 30); and a heat transfer suppression component (40) that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate (20, 30) to the other drive substrate (30, 20) across the thermal shielding electronic component (43) and overlaps at least a part of the drive substrates (20, 30) in a plan view. Thus, by the thermal shielding electronic component (43) and the heat transfer suppression component (40), the electronic circuits (22, 32) controlled by the respective drive substrates (20, 30) can be independent cooling objects. Moreover, since the thermal shielding electronic component (43) is constituted by any one of the plurality of electronic components (22a, 32a, 43), there is no need to separately provide a thermal shielding component, and the power module (100) can be made compact.

[0079] In this way, a compact power module (100) capable of improving the cooling efficiency is achieved.

[0080] <2> Based on the power module (100) in <1> above, the thermal shielding electronic component is preferably a thin film capacitor (43).

[0081] In this way, if a capacitor common to the electronic circuits (22, 32) is used as the thin film capacitor (43) as the thermal shielding electronic component, the convenience is improved.

[0082] <3> Based on the power module (100) in <1> or <2> above, the heat transfer suppression component is preferably a control substrate (40) that controls the drive substrates (20, 30).

[0083] In this way, if the heat transfer suppression component is the control substrate (40), the substrate for controlling the drive substrates (20, 30) can be used also as the heat transfer suppression component, so the convenience is improved.

[0084] <4> Based on the power module (100) in <3> above, the control substrate (40) is preferably a common substrate for controlling a plurality of drive substrates (20, 30).

[0085] In this way, if the control substrate (40) is a common substrate for controlling a plurality of drive substrates (20, 30), the space utilization efficiency can be improved compared with the case where the control substrates (40) are provided separately.

[0086] <5> Based on the power module (100) in <3> or <4> above, a housing (10) for accommodating the drive substrates (20, 30) is further provided, and the control substrate (40) is preferably accommodated in the housing (10).

[0087] Thus, if the control substrate (40) is housed in the housing (10), heat generated by any one of the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) can be suppressed from being transferred to the other drive substrates (30, 20) in the housing (10). In addition, the power supply module (100) can be made compact.

[0088] <6> Based on any one of the power supply modules (100) in <1> to <5> above, it is preferable that the height of the heat shielding electronic component (43) is greater than the height of the electronic components (22a, 32a) disposed close to both sides of the heat shielding electronic component (43).

[0089] Thus, if the height of the heat shielding electronic component (43) is greater than the height of the electronic components (22a, 32a) disposed close to both sides thereof, heat transfer between the electronic components (22a, 32a) disposed close to both sides of the heat shielding electronic component (43) can be effectively suppressed.

[0090] <7> Based on any one of the power supply modules (100) in <1> to <5> above, it is preferable that the distance between the heat shielding electronic component (43) and the heat transfer suppressing component (40) is shorter than the distance between each of the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) and the heat transfer suppressing component (40).

[0091] Thus, if the distance between the heat shielding electronic component (43) and the heat transfer suppressing component (40) is shorter than the distance between each of the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) and the heat transfer suppressing component (40), heat generated by any one of the plurality of drive substrates (20, 30) can be suppressed from being transferred to the other drive substrates (30, 20).

[0092] Industrial Applicability

[0093] The present disclosure can be used for a power supply module.

[0094] Description of Reference Numerals

[0095] 10... housing; 20... OBC substrate (drive substrate); 22... power converter (electronic circuit); 22a... heat generating component (electronic component); 30... motor drive substrate (drive substrate); 32... power converter (electronic circuit); 32a... heat generating component (electronic component); 40... control substrate (heat transfer suppressing component); 43... thin film capacitor (electronic component, heat shielding electronic component); 100... power supply module.

Claims

1. A power supply module, wherein, it includes: a plurality of drive substrates that respectively drive each electronic circuit composed of a plurality of electronic components with different heat generation amounts; a heat shield electronic component, which is composed of any one of the plurality of electronic components and separates the plurality of drive substrates; and a heat transfer suppression component that suppresses heat transfer from one drive substrate to another drive substrate across the heat shield electronic component and overlaps at least a part of the drive substrate when viewed from above.

2. The power supply module according to claim 1, wherein, the heat shield electronic component is a thin film capacitor.

3. The power supply module according to claim 1, wherein, the heat transfer suppression component is a control substrate that controls the drive substrate.

4. The power supply module according to claim 3, wherein, the control substrate is a common substrate that controls the plurality of drive substrates.

5. The power supply module according to claim 3, wherein, it further includes a housing that houses the drive substrate, and the control substrate is housed in the housing.

6. The power supply module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, the height of the heat shield electronic component is greater than the height of the electronic components disposed on both sides of the heat shield electronic component.

7. The power supply module according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, the distance between the heat shield electronic component and the heat transfer suppression component is shorter than the distance between each of the plurality of drive substrates and the heat transfer suppression component.

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